2.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This course attempts to provide students with a good understanding of the socio-political structures of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been remarkable for its political stability in the past 80 years. It has weathered the cold war, the Arab Spring and numerous economic world crisis. On the other hand, it is presently faced with a daunting environment. The country is incurring large budget deficits due to the low oil prices of the past 3 years. It is de facto at war with Iran through proxies in Syria and Yemen, even to a lesser instance in Iraq. It is party to a major dispute with Qatar, one of its most stable neighbors. It is also faced with the coming of age of a large population of young people, who want to take over the reins of the economy and political power. The course will try to address in some detail the current political transition and the structure of the economy and will seek to obtain the students’ views on the risks and potential of the challenges presently faced by Saudi Arabia. <a href="http://bit.ly/1bebp5s" target="_blank">Click here to see evaluations, syllabi, and faculty bios</a>